A library in Brussels with English books

Since moving to Brussels I’ve purchased quite a few books written in English, but at 10-13 Euros per book it adds up quick and living in a small apartment, the bookshelf just isn’t big enough. So I did a search online and I found that the “Bibliothèque Centrale pour la Région de Bruxelles-Capitale” has a section of books written in English.

Close to the Grand Place, this library is open until 12:00pm on Saturdays. I was surprised that I spoke enough French to be able to ask where the section with English books is or at least the lady seemed to understand what I was trying to say. So I went upstairs and saw the few shelves with the books in English. Not a huge selection, but it covers a wide enough range for those who like Dan Brown, John Grisham, Emily Bronte, Marian Keyes, and Sofia Kinsella, among others.

So I chose three books and made my way back down to the checkout counter. I was also able to speak enough French that I could tell the lady that I didn’t have a library card (bibliopass). So she started doing her thing on the computer to prepare a card. As a permanent resident in Belgium, you just need to give them your ID card. They scan it and then you have the choice to pay 6 Euros for a one year subscription or you can pay .20 per book. Not too bad. The books are on loan for three weeks and you can renew them online. Just make sure to ask for your ID for the internet.

So if you miss reading more books or feel like you might be falling into the habit of adopting EuroEnglish (some sore of accent and new words, expressions and slang), then stop by the Bibliothèque Centrale and check out some books. If you prefer buying books or are looking for something in particular, there are two stores I know of in Brussels dedicated to books written in English: Waterstones and Sterling Books. I personally prefer Sterling since it is a bit smaller and they also give you a punch card so that when you buy a certain number of books (five) they give you a discount (approx. 5 Euros).

Do you live abroad? Do you miss going to the library or the bookstore for the latest releases? Do you have a Kindle or Nook? Maybe I should invest in one of these to increase my overseas reading…